Tolleshunt Knights Cooperative Playgroup

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are at the heart of this distinctive setting. They arrive happy and settle very quickly. Leaders and staff create an inspirational environment that stimulates children's curiosity and interest. Children have amazing opportunities to make informed decisions about what they would like to explore and access with support from nurturing staff. For example, children have a fantastic time in the garden looking for bugs and insects. Staff encourage them to use books to find out more about the creatures they found, to learn their names and where they live. Staff also remind children to show care and affection towards all living things. This helps build on children's understanding of the world and emotional development.

Staff and leaders are very warm and have high expectations of children. Children rise to the challenge and follow the setting's routines and boundaries exceptionally well. Children are positive and independent learners. For example, as soon as they arrive, children change into indoor shoes to support their independence. Furthermore, at snack time, children help with cutting their own fruits and cleaning up their dishes. This makes children feel valued and deeply involved. Children have great manners and show high levels of respect towards staff and peers. Children form strong relationships with the staff, who in turn respond to their needs promptly and with kindness. Staff recognise and value children's achievements. They offer praise and affirmation to build on children's confidence and self-esteem.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Leaders and staff offer a diverse and inclusive practice. They take into account children's needs, interests and abilities when planning a great selection of stimulating activities. For example, staff encourage children to participate in physical games, where they need to walk on stepping stones to work on their balance and coordination. Children concentrate well and take turns with their peers successfully. This also helps strengthen children's social interactions.
• Staff are exemplary role models. They model language well and engage children in meaningful conversations. They introduce new words such as 'mane, hump' and 'pounce'. However, staff do not use all opportunities to ensure children benefit from challenge that extends their learning and new vocabulary being securely embedded, particularly for younger children.
• Children develop a passion for literature from a very young age. Their natural curiosity is fostered through reading stories with staff. Children enjoy their favourite story about three little pigs and recreate it by building various material houses. Staff encourage children to work with their peers to make strong houses for their characters, to further develop their hand-eye coordination and imaginative skills.
• Staff create great opportunities for children to explore a wide array of mark- making tools to build on their fine motor skills and creativity. Younger children use their fingers and sponges to explore colour and make marks on their paper. Older children use glue and glitter and access scissors safely to make beautiful pictures of planets. Children persevere when challenges occur, showing high levels of determination to complete the task.
• Staff and leaders have a good knowledge and understanding of children's development. They complete regular observations to track children's progress. Staff also identify next steps in children's learning and share these with the parents. For example, older children have an amazing time as they sing and move in different ways to the sound of the music. They skip, hop and jump to build on their gross motor skills while following instructions correctly. Younger children choose what they would like to sing next by accessing specific props. This also helps build on children's emotional resilience and ability to express themselves creatively.
• Leaders have a clear vision for their setting. They constantly reflect on their practice and strive to deliver high-quality care and education. Leaders value staff, including their well-being and professional development, creating a supportive culture. Staff receive focused supervisions and training opportunities to ensure their knowledge is current. Leaders' drive and commitment to ensure all children receive the best start to their early education is embraced by all staff.
• Partnerships with parents are effective. Staff involve parents in their children's education. Staff communicate effectively with all parents and offer detailed and accurate information about their children's learning. They also organise regular parent meetings to discuss their children's progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• adapt the quality of teaching to ensure children's learning is suitably challenged and new vocabulary is securely embedded, particularly for younger children.